Denny's Soapbox

Your Lawn

Lot’s of brown patch lawn disease, irregular shaped brown areas of your grass. This disease does not cause permanent damage. It will go away as night time temps cool down below 65°. Keep mowing your grass at 3 inches, no shorter. If your lawn needs a drink of water, put down at least ½ inch. Use a straight sided glass in area of the sprinkler to measure the amount of water going down on the lawn. Lawns want an inch of water per week minus any rainfall to stay green and healthy.

Summer flower color

Keep dead heading (removing) spent flowers from your annuals, perennials and shrubs (roses) to keep new bloom color arriving. Consider feeding all your blooming plants with ‘Start ‘N Gro’ time release plant food that will keep feeding your plants through fall with just one application. Loosen any existing mulch that has crusted in all your planting beds to allow more water and air to enter your soil. One more application of Preen or Dimension to your beds will prevent fall weed seed germination including chickweed.

Getting buggy?

Many insects are in the landscape feeding on some of your plants. The vast majority are nuisance bugs that have to eat too. The one insect to watch out for and treat is the bagworm. Use a labeled pesticide to treat this problem. They can cause deadly damage to evergreens.

Have a pesky squirrel?

The following info is furnished by the O.S.U. Extension Service.

There have been inquiries concerning the removal of buds and bark from ornamental trees in the urban landscape. The damage accounts consisted of debarked sections of branches and removal of terminal and lateral buds on the plant material. Also reported, was the evidence of numerous gnaw marks across the xylem tissue of the affected plants. Ohio is home to several different species of tree squirrels. The tree squirrels genus Sciurus includes fox squirrel (S. niger), and eastern gray, (S. carolinensis). The genus Glaucomys contains the northern flying squirrel (G. sabrinus), which is found only in extreme northeastern Ohio and the southern flying squirrel (G. volans), found throughout most parts of Ohio.

Tree squirrels inhabit our natural woodland areas. As with all living things, these animals are constantly searching for food, water, shelter and nesting material. Squirrels favor acorns, hickory nuts and walnuts in the fall. They seem to prefer tree buds in the spring. During summer they can be seen eating fruits, berries and plant material. Because they are opportunistic, they are occasionally seen raiding back yard bird feeders or bird nests for food. They will also dig up bulbs and planted seeds and may even sample ripened vegetables. The number of these animals in one's yard is directly proportional to the amount of food, water and cover we make available to them.

There are several theories as to why these animals dislodge branch tips and strip bark from trees. Some believe this behavior is necessary to sharpen, clean and maintain their dental hygiene. Still others have written it is a process for gathering nesting materials. There are also accounts describing squirrels as being naturally "high strung" and mischievous creatures. This could explain why they also bite into communication and power lines.

Some squirrels are designated small game species in Ohio and may be legally taken during the regular hunting season. In the urban areas, box trapping is an effective method to help manage population numbers. Check with your local wildlife officer for the legal options you have. Cultural controls include elimination of the animal's easy access to food, water, and cover in your yard. Finally, repellents can be applied to damaged areas to prevent further damage from occurring. Products containing naphthalene (moth balls), capsaicin, and polybutene are recommended.